Algeria to Meta: WhatsApp accounts must keep a local phone number 📱 🇩🇿

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WhatsApp is about to let users message each other without revealing their phone number — and Algeria isn’t fully on board. The government wants a guarantee: every account active in the country must stay tied to a valid Algerian mobile number, reportedly to preserve traceability.

A new way to use WhatsApp 📱

Algeria’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications sent Meta a formal notice on Monday, August 10, 2026. The move comes as the platform prepares to roll out a feature that lets users exchange messages without directly sharing their phone number.

Announced by WhatsApp on June 29, the « Usernames » feature is meant to let each user pick a handle to communicate with contacts, so their phone number no longer has to be visible to the people they’re messaging. That shift is exactly what worries Algerian authorities — not the feature itself, but what it could mean for tracing active accounts in the country.

A phone number as proof of identity 🔐

In its notice, the ministry asked Meta to guarantee that every WhatsApp account used in Algeria stays linked to a valid mobile number registered with a local carrier. The demand leans on Algeria’s SIM registration system: getting a SIM card there requires an ID document, which ties the number to its holder’s declared identity.

Authorities want to preserve that traceability even once the number itself is no longer visible to other users. The ministry is asking Meta to formally confirm that accounts used in Algeria will remain linked to a local number, to bar accounts built solely on a username with no local number attached, and to provide a clear implementation timeline.

India raised the same concerns first 🌐

Algeria’s move follows a similar one from India. On July 1, the Indian government reportedly sent Meta a formal notice over the same feature and asked for it to be temporarily suspended.

Indian authorities cited several risks at the time, including fraud, phishing, identity theft, and the difficulty of keeping accounts traceable.

WhatsApp, for its part, said protective mechanisms had been built into the feature from the start — usernames for public figures, government institutions, and verified accounts are meant to be specifically protected. Creating a WhatsApp account, meanwhile, still requires a valid phone number.

A feature still in the works ⚙️

For now, the change isn’t fully live. WhatsApp currently only lets users reserve their future username.

Full rollout is expected later in 2026. In the meantime, Algeria wants guarantees from Meta that the shift won’t undermine the identification mechanisms currently tied to WhatsApp accounts on its territory.

So, should WhatsApp be allowed to hide your number while still keeping an identification trail for authorities?